how do you feel about space exploration?

[foweler]

I'll repost this one more time.

Other than the potential for mining and spin off technology (most of the tech we enjoy, including the internet your using right now was spun off of military research, nobody else would have spent the money developing it) there are 3 valid reasons why humans MUST become competent in space.

1) The Earth is doomed. No amount of conservation or green thinking will stop the sun from going nova or the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies from colliding. These events are WAY off in the future but man ultimately MUST leave this planet if it is to survive.

2) Earth crossing asteroids. Much more likely to be real threat in the near future. Should we find a large mass heading on a direct collision course with the Earth we stand a much better chance of survival if we had ships in space, a well trained group of astronauts and pre planned techniques for dealing with the situation. For that matter, if we had space operations throughout our solar system we would stand a much better chance of detecting an Earth crossing mass while we still had time to react.
3) The more we learn about other moons and planets the greater the insight we gain into our own.
Yes, there are things right here on Earth that need addressing but space exploration is far from a waste of time and money.

But maybe you're right. Maybe man wasn't meant to be permanent. Maybe all we could take to space would be our same old problems. Maybe the only road to the stars is an evolutionary course that leads to humans no longer being humans. Maybe astral projection is the only way past Einstein's equations. Who knows.

All I'm saying is it would be stupid not to try. Nobody knows what will be but we can predict what might be and should prepare for it.​

 

[1acrefarm]

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Then why should you let them die because you let technology get stagnant and failed to come up with that new medical device?

 

[WalkingWolf]

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Then why should you let them die because you let technology get stagnant and failed to come up with that new medical device?

Because putting the money into research for a new medical device would go way farther than pushing chunks of metal into space. Right now we need to make sure they have heat and food to survive.

Claiming that new technology from space travel is mostly propaganda, in truth space travel is possible from technology derived from military, and also medical research. Such as Tang was around for a long long time, just like powdered milk and powdered eggs. Troops found them disgusting though. For now space exploration is a luxury we can do without. JMHO

 

[chrissum]

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Most technological advances came about because of WAR, always has always will, but that is no excuse for war. Many of the advances claimed by NASA were actually researched for the purpose of war and adapted to space travel. Teflon being one of them, researched for a better protective coating on small arms, though nobody wants to tell anybody that. That black paint on the Mattel rifle was NOT paint. As for many of the tech advances I lived for decades without them with no problem, and so did many others. But then we had heat we could afford and food on the table, but I can see where some may think that is a luxury we can do without to fantasize about space. I am all for it in good times, these are not good times and it is just wrong to make children starve, freeze, and suffer for some entertainment.

Teflon was invented by accident at Dupont:
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blteflon.htm

 

[domino7]

I think it's one of the silliest way's to burn money. I guess man isn't happy just destroying the earth.

 

[nivtup]

I for one just don't get it.

I am interested in space, and regularly watch TV programming on the subject. The question for me, is if we are going to populate another rock, would it not be prudent to populate one that can sustain life? If we are targeting a planet or moon that can sustain human life, are we not looking at a long long long journey?

Try to understand the vastness of space, which is truly incredible. We would need to see a game changing technology to even come close to overcoming the challenges associated with traveling these distances.

The desire to populate the next inhabitable rock will take a multi generational effort.

Grandious ideas in a tough economy.

Ok, so we can't really make the trip to an inhabitable planet or moon at this time, let's go to Mars!! Why? It does not look to good to me from all of the data collected from the rovers, etc.

OK, let's go back to the moon!! Why? It does not look to good for sustaining life from where I sit.

Let's fix the mess we have here.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Teflon was invented by accident at Dupont:
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blteflon.htm

And one of the first and still uses of it was a protective coating on small arms. Before space travel and NOT because of space travel. BTW space travel was brought on because of military interest, and many of the first people involved were the same people involved in ICBMs. Space travel or the exploration has benefit man in the ability to destroy and kill more than anything else.​

 

[WalkingWolf]

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[The Chicken Lady]

Another good reason for space exploration is the morale aspect of it... It will be a huge accomplishment for whatever country can get to Mars first. It will be a source of pride for that nation. I would like to see the United States have that honor -- but I'm thinking we will go to Mars with the help of other countries (it's just an enormous mission!), and I'm sure that will be a source of peace and friendship for us with those other countries in the future.

I don't think we can let science stagnate just because the economy is not doing so well. I'm not interested in going back to the Dark Ages. We need to continue to expand our knowledge, and science -- here on earth and elsewhere -- is the way to do that. Think about how many advancements in technology have been made just over the past five years...losing time for research would be a bad thing for us (especially because other nations are not going to stop catching up or going past us in science. They are so motivated!).

 

[Judy]

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This is the problem; we're essentially in a position where we can't afford NOT to continue space exploration. What a shame that we can't band together on an international level and explore solutions to our problems here, instead of how to get to some chunk of rock millions of miles away, or at least before we do the latter.